The second time I set my eyes on Albert Museum Jaipur, it was almost sunset, and the colorful lights had beautified the architectural marvel. It brightened up the entire Ram Niwas garden and right into the Pink City.
Auto-driver SRK (yes! His name is Shah Rukh Khan, no kidding) was taking me back to the hotel after driving me across the old city.
As we sailed through the rainwater-clogged roads of Jaipur in July, through the pretty gates and sights to see, in front of me was this colourful beauty mesmerising my eye.
I remembered the last time I came to Jaipur and went home crying as Priyo and I fought. The trip was incomplete, but that incomplete trip changed my whole life.
While we were sulking on the last night and couldn’t catch glimpses of city life from Nahargarh Fort, we set our eyes on the Albert Hall Museum for the first time.
For a moment, we stopped whining and gazed at its beauty. We realised it was extraordinary enough to stop ordinary fights.
Albert Museum Jaipur Rajasthan
If you visit Jaipur for two days, you might miss out on Albert Hall Museum. You would be so busy going to forts, and witnessing City Palace, Jantar Mantar, and Hawa Mahal, that you’d skip this.
It is also further from the other notable sights to see. But it is worth your time, and let us find out why.
Samuel Swinton Jacob designed the architecture of the Albert Museum Jaipur. The architecture is splendid, and the whole place looks regal and palace-like.
At night, this place lights up like Magic Kingdom castle Disney World, while during the day, it welcomes pigeons and tourists alike.
The establishment functions as a state and national museum of Rajasthan. You can notice Indo-Saracenic influences in the make-up of the establishment.
Keen-eyed people will also see how Rajput architectural designs increase the flourishing of the Albert Museum Jaipur.
The other name of Albert Museum Jaipur is the Government Central Museum. It is located in Jaipur, in Ram Niwas Garden.
The Albert Hall Museum opened in 1887. It was built with the joint effort of Mir Tujumool Hoosein and Samuel Swinton Jacob.
The presiding king of Rajasthan, Madho Singh II, the successor of Ram Singh, patronised the building.
Albert Hall Museum’s nomenclature comes from King Edward VII’s royal visit in 1876. Architects laid the foundation for the museum during this time that the Prince visited.
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Why visit the Jaipur Museum
Rajasthan offers rich historical heritage. That is amply reflected in the presentation of historical artefacts in the Albert Hall Museum. It boasts a rich collection of valuable paintings, metal sculptures, royal jewellery pieces, crystal artefacts, carpets, and stone and ivory sculptures.
The numismatic collection of the Albert Hall Museum is fantastic. You can observe coins from almost all essential ages in Indian history.
Tourists will find coins dating to Mughal, British, Gupta, Kushan and Delhi Sultanate periods. The Jaipur Museum has some of India’s more impressive artefacts in its collections.
The night view of Jaipur Museum is breathtaking. The lighting system is innovative and brightens up the roads surrounding it. It has ornate towers, and the museum’s exterior is regal.
There is a beautiful Buddhist mural in the gallery. You can also find a Brahma statue that is striking and unmissable.
A Jain Tirthankara, fine porcelain antiques and a Lakshmi Narayan statue are some of the more prominent features of the Jaipur Museum.
The courtyard of the Jaipur Museum is lovely and spacious. A shoal of pigeons can be seen pecking at the food left there.
The overall atmosphere of the Albert Hall Museum is peaceful and intriguing. Jaipur is known as Pink City.
That mainly comes from the peculiar pink hue most houses have in the city. But there are other attractions that the place has to offer.
The Jaipur Museum is one of the several beautiful monuments that Jaipur has. The city has a long and fascinating past unique to the area.
Albert Museum Jaipur
Albert Museum Jaipur is a part of the fascinating things you can see when you visit Jaipur. Old forts, royal palaces, beautiful lakes and authentic food will make your visit to Jaipur lovely.
The revival architecture style throughout the museum opens up a dialogue between the past and the present. There is a timeless feeling to the beautiful and arched corridors and hallways.
Albert Hall Museum collection
The spacious halls that house important historical artefacts do not fail to amaze. The splendid windows, high ceilings, and beautifully painted walls only make part of the trip feel dated.
You will feel like you are transported back in time and are just a traveller exploring new things. The fine local craftsmanship is reflected in the ornate Chhatri designs.
The Albert Museum Jaipur is a notable example of the Gothic Mughal architecture style. The stones inlay is beige and brown, giving the whole place a timeless look.
Albert Museum Jaipur also boasts a beautiful garden filled with the songs of many birds. It is not just a museum; it is more.
Coffee Pot and flower vase collection
The first thing you’d come across is the museum’s coffee pot and flower vase collection. The Jaipur glass coffee pot pictures you see here date back to the 19th century. They are engraved with floral patterns.
Salver collection
The large salver collection made of Jaipur brass has stories to tell. One big salver exhibits the Sun on his celestial chariot right in the middle. It has 16 Tithis or days depicted around it.
It reflects the Hindu lunar month, including Purnima (full moon), and Amavasya (no moon) in the inner circle. There are 32 Lords of all the 16 Tithis. The nights depicted in the outer circle exhibit ‘Muhurat Chintamani’ suggest the auspicious and inauspicious times of the month.
Hukka
Sheesha, Hookah, or Hukka, as they imprint below this collection, is 20th-century collectable. It was brought from Punjab and has gold-plated engraved on the outer body. The mouth of the pipe depicted a jewelled hand of a lady.
Mahabharat and Ramayana Shield
The shields at Albert Hall Museum is one of the marvellous pieces you can’t miss. Based on the Razmnama, these engravings show several important events written by Sage Ved Vyas.
Both the shields look alike but have different engraving. While one highlights the Chandravanshi dynasty depicted in Mahabharat, the other highlights of Raghuvanshi dynasty as read in Ramayana.
Buddha-Nepal
A beautiful Buddha murti sitting in Sparsha mudra while heavenly beings bless Him during enlightenment is a treat to the eyes.
Type of pottery
From Doulton & Minton Ware to Turkish Red Pottery, Japanese pottery, to Persian, Turkish, and Hungarian, a huge section is dedicated to this category. But among all these, what stood out to me the most was the Peshawari pottery.
Weaponry
As you step into Rajasthan, you will find traces of ancient weaponry everywhere. These are collectables that reflect the yesteryears. From swords and shields to bow and arrows, you can find it all here. Protective gear for arms, headgear, and guns, among others.
Pagari
An interesting find amidst all the weaponry is a section dedicated to all male pagaris. Before seeing this spread, I did not know that these head gears were a way to differentiate people according to caste and religion.
Rural Rajasthani people continue to wear these even now. The royals too adorn these during festivities.
Note that these are different from pagaris worn by Sikh people due to religious reasons.
Mummy in Museum
The Mummy in museum is one of the main attractions that Albert Museum Jaipur has. Many people are fascinated by the thought of mummies.
Adults and children have grown up with many movies and cartoons featuring dead bodies wrapped in bandages.
While many people associate mummies with Egypt, there are other places where you can find them. India has six Egyptian mummies in private and public collections.
One of them is featured in the Albert Hall Museum. The mummy in museum is placed in a sarcophagus. The mummified person lays inside and there is an X-ray that shows that the body did not decompose.
There is a mummification process explained and available to read for interested people. If you want to learn more about mummies, how they are made, let me know in the comments so I make a detailed post.
There are many other fascinating attractions at the museum. But visiting the mummy is a priority for many.
An Albert Hall museum case study was performed on this mummy almost a decade ago. But the details remained secret to the authorities.
The X-ray revealed that the bones of the mummy were still intact. But nothing else was disclosed about it.
Albert Hall museum ticket price
Albert Hall ticket price is Rs. 40 for nationals and Rs. 30 for students when presented with student ID. But what’s interesting is that you get a composite ticket option to explore other places to see in Jaipur. You not only pay a smaller amount but all skip lines.
A composite ticket purchased at Albert Museum Jaipur costs you Rs. 300 and includes Jantar Mantar (Rs. 50), Hawa Mahal (Rs. 50), Amber Fort (Rs. 100), Nahargarh Fort (Rs. 50), Sisodia Rani Garden (Rs. 50), Albert Hall Museum (Rs. 40) Vidyadhar Garden (Rs. 50), and additional Rs. 50. Buying tickets for all these places individually would cost Rs. 440. The ticket is valid for two days.
Albert hall museum ticket composite ticket price for Indian students is Rs. 40 (against Rs. 75 paid separately) and Rs. 200 (against Rs. 450 paid separately) for international students. For foreign nationals, Rs. 1000 and reduces the cost by 50% that they would have to pay at individual locations.
Albert Hall museum timings
Albert Hall museum timing is from 9 am to 5 pm.
The museum closes for visitors already inside by 5:30 pm and does not allow new visitors post 5 pm.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a history buff like me, this is the place to be!
Don’t skip Albert Museum Jaipur from your list, as you won’t just lose out on learning but also miss clicking some of the most Instagram-able pictures in and around here!
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